jvquarterback

Trying to decide which business award booking to get and I'd like your help please.

My options are

LH DEL-FRA (747-8) LH FRA-JFK (747-4) then UA JFK-LAX (757-2) LAX-MRY (I should note there is a 35min connection in LAX here which has me worried because I'd be stuck overnight in LA if I miss it)
or
CA DEL-PEK (333) then OZ PEK-ICN-LAX (777-2) then LAX-MRY
or
OZ DEL-ICN (333) ICN-LAX (747-4) LAX-MRY/sjc

What are your thoughts? I'd probably be sleeping on the DEL-FRA, DEL-PEK, DEL-ICN segments so I think the 747-8 would be best there but who knows if LH will substitute? Also the CA-OZ option is available the day before which works out just a bit better for me. Your thoughts will be appreciated.

specialeffects

If you have a higher status like 1K then CA as they will most likely upgrade you on their metal. If not then all suck.... I assume you are flying Y...

jvquarterback

No I'm flying C. I'm thinking I'll go with CA-OZ so I can get home to see the family a day earlier and then hope F comes open on the LH routes. I'm worried about the C on the DEL-PEK but I guess I can make up for lost sleep in the quadra smartium.

dvs7310

I'm pretty sure from a *A partner perspective, any *G is pretty much equal regardless of the hierarchy in their own program. I've flown a heck of a lot of segments on CA as a *G on revenue tickets and only once have they even hinted at an upgrade, but they wanted to leave my companion (no status and on same PNR) in Economy so I politely declined unless they'd upgrade us both. I don't see how a UA 1K on an economy award ticket has much of a chance of an op-up on CA metal in normal circumstances.

If I had the choices that OP has, I think I'd go with the all OZ option, but then you may decide that that extra day at home is worth going via PEK. It's the most palatable international transfer point in China (mainland proper) but it still sucks. I'd probably only do the LH route if I was able to confirm into F.

mre5765

I take it DEL/EWR/SFO/MRY is not available on UA metal?

jvquarterback

Nope. Would you take that over OZ or LH business class anyway?

specialeffects

Dvs7310: I fly CA on SIN-PEK-SIN every month for the last 18 months or so and only once on reward ticket was not upgraded..... By the way upgrade is offered in flight when the purser comes to great by name..... Not at check-in. I also did get an upgrade on revenue coach PEk- LAX last Nov not an op-up once again in flight...

jvquarterback

You're just the person whose advice I need then specialeffects. How are the seats in C on this flight? And when you get your upgrade on an award C to F or Y to C? If C to F how often did that happen and how is the F seat. There isn't much info on seatguru. Thanks.

Sorry I misread SIN as DEL. are you riding a 333 on those flight?

PVDtoDEL

LH/UA all the way... If you can route through EWR instead of JFK (UA BizFirst), even better.

CAlex

Why in the world would you fly DEL-FRA-JFK-LAX, when you can fly DEL-ICN-LAX with OZ, in C?

More direct route, better transit airport, better business class seat and service, better arrival time...
Why would you prefer to clear immigration in JFK and then take a UA JFK-LAX flight...?

jvquarterback

The DEL-FRA segment is lie-flat on 747-8 LH, vs the angled flats on the A333 for OZ or CA and those would be the segments I'd be sleeping on. Also the ICN-LAX segment for the OZ only option is on the 747 so no quadra smartium. I think I'm going home a day earlier on the CA-OZ so I can get the lie flat on the PEK-ICN-LAX segments. Plus I'll get to see my wife and daughters a day sooner.

CAlex

You bring probably the best argument in the book - time with family Take the CA+OZ route, if you can.

Any option to get award seats to SFO, to avoid the LAX-MRY leg?
Any way to connect in Japan, and find availability on ANA to SJC?

dvs7310

That's a nice route I would have also forgotten to check... and NH often has very good availability PEK-NRT in C though the quality of the seat varies widely if you get the 787 (good) or something else (not even as good as OZ angled flat).

jvquarterback

I've been checking NH NRT-SJC every day. No dice so far and I'd really like to try it. I've got OZ-SQ in F/C on the way out so I'd love to try the NH C product as well plus I can connect on TG and try all of the major Asian airlines on one trip.

specialeffects

Seats are great , inclined flat in C and full flat in F. Only got upgraded from Y to C as on SIN-PEK its a 333.